Woman charged with bomb threats

March 29, 2006

NILES — A Chicago woman has been charged with making bomb threats last week to a Target store in Niles to make trouble for her ex-boyfriend, a former employee of the store, police said.

Olanike Omotade, 26, of the 5500 block of North Sheridan Road, was charged with four counts of felony disorderly conduct after threats were called in on four consecutive days beginning March 21, police said.

On each of the days, a woman called the store at 6150 W. Touhy Ave., disguised her voice and gave the name of a former employee, Niles police Cmdr. Dennis McEnerney said. McEnerney said the woman told store personnel in three calls that a bomb had been planted in the building; in one call, the woman threatened to set fire to the store.

Target management evacuated the store after the first two bomb threats, and a search was done by the Cook County sheriff's police bomb squad. No explosives were found, McEnerney said.

The calls were traced to pay phones on Chicago's North Side, and Omotade was arrested Friday. "She was getting back at her ex-boyfriend," McEnerney said.